David
- 2009-01-30
I worked at Longre and can vouch for it being a good place to work.
As you pointed out, there is no job security - if they don't like you they'll fire you. Is that a big deal though? In Shanghai it is fairly easy to get another job quite quickly ( I assume you're talking about the Shanghai Longres - I know they have branches in other cities).
Anyway, I think you're far off the mark about people at Longre not having degrees. Everyone I met there had a degree and many had teaching certificates. You come across as quite opinionated; as if you 'know the deal', but you're really talking through your hat mate.
You reckon it's better to work at a University - go ahead. All power to you. You won't be happy on pay day. At Longre most people made about 12,000 a month. Many made about 15,000.
They were the ones who worked casually though, who didn't sign a contract. In my opinion, it's the best way to work in China. Don't sign a contract and don't commit yourself to anyone. They stay nice that way. If you're a half decent teacher you'll get plenty of work - and if you don't want to do a class you just say no.
Of course, you're working illegally. But so what? Maybe it's different now (I was there a couple of years ago) but most teachers I met in SH were working illegally. Nobody asks and you don 't tell. I heard some people got caught and deported but they were just extremely unlucky. The other 50 thousand went about life there with no problems. Like I said, it may be different now - I don't know.
Anyway, just try not to shoot off at the mouth about things you don't really know about. You've got no idea about teaching in China if you think working at a University is a good idea. I only bothered answering because guys like you really annoy me: the teacher who thinks they've got it all worked out, spouting off advice to newbies, when they're talking utter crap.
So shut it mate.
Sunk
- 2008-12-09
Sunk, why not just share the details with all of us here, wouldn't that make a lot more sense and help a lot more people?
I have also heard of these people, and even talked with them about going to work there, decided against it. They hire teachers without degrees, hence without real contracts.
Likely you don't have a degree and therefore also did not have a legal contract, and they would know it. A lot of crap training schools like to hire people totally without degrees, so they can boot you whenever they like. At the same time they have the right folks paid off, so they have nothing to fear.
Many schools operating illegally like this one have arrnagements with local law enforcement, believe you me, they have nothing to fear hiring illegal workers. You have a lot to fear though, big time.
If your gonna come to China and work on an F or L visa, beware, your contract is not at all leghal, and the only thing binding is your employers word, which doesn't mean a hill of beans here.
I have also not heard anything good about this outfit, and that they were able to fire you outright says you were working there illegally, which says something bad about them for certain, but this is pretty normal bad what with the shortage of teachers.
I agree with what I've read since coming here, training centers are not worth it. Yes they pay more, but you might end up without a job, and for some time, so the loss you face isn't worth it. At the same time, if you lack a degree, many have little choice.
Be careful reading your contract also. Even if your legal, really bad contracts have loopholes that are quite vague. I've known many a legal employee fired because he was not popular enough, and indeed there was a clause in their contracts about how well they were liked. Heck, it even included a percentage of students that had to approve of you for you to keep your job, LOL. This is just crap, since in truth they could say at any time X amount don't like you, your gone. You could never confirm it to deny it, it's a very clever way to make a contract a non contract I think.
I think Uni's are best, but they don't pay d*ck, but they do give you a good place to live, usually.